Game of skill



Oct. 27, 1925. 1,559,140

G. WOLKENHAUER GAME or SKILL 7 Filed March 2, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Get.27, 1925. 1,559,140

G. WOLKENHAUER GAME OF SKILL Filed March 2, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .77;64d m W42 6 Patented Oct. 27, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GUSTAV WOLKENHAUEB, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR '10 BIVEBVIEW PARKCOMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION 01' ILLINOIS gum or sxILL.

Application filed March 2, 1925. Serial No. 12,474.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUSTAV WOLKEN- BAUER, a citizen of the Republic ofGermany, and a resident of Chicago, county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Game ofSkill; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, andexact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which formpart of this specification.

This invention relates to a novel and improved game of skill andconsists of the matters hereinafter described and more particularlypointed out in the appended claims.

The object of my invention is to produce a novel and attractive game ofskill more particularly designed for use in amusement parks, at fairs,and in like places. The essentially attractive feature of the game is,that it is in fact a game of skill, instead of a game of chance, as areso many games (alleged games of skill) now put out for like purposes.The new game will also be particularly attractive to those attendingsuch places where games of the kind are offered because it will bemanifest to the player of the game, that his success in playing the gamedepends entirely upon his own skill and that his chances of winning thegame can not be in any way reduced or affected by any act of theattendant who offers the game for his play.

The'advantages of the invention will appear more clearly as I proceedwith my specification.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view showing my improved gameapparatus as it appears when observed by one to whom the game ispresented for play.

Figure 2 is a vertical section through the game apparatus with someparts shown diagrammatically-the plane of the section being illustratedby the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section on an enlarged scale of one of thetarget boats included in the game.

The apparatus of the improved game-is embodied in one or more units,each complete in itself, and so constructed that a number of such unitsmay be assembled in a line side by side. Thus one or more of the severalunits may be operated or played at the same time.

Each game apparatus unit consists of a moving target; of a bombardingelement or gun, which may be fixed or movable, but which is placed in acertain relation to the moving target so that at one point in the pathof the target, the bombarding element will be accurately directedtowards the target; of a projectile and an electromagnet adapted tosupport or retain said projectile in the gun or bombarding element; ofmeans for driving the target in its path of movement; and of electricconductors in circuit with the electromagnet with suitable buttons orswitches-one for the attendant of the game and the other for the oneplaying the game-by means of which the attendant operating his button orswitch may cause the magnet in the gun to be energized to hold the ballor projectile and the player operating his button may break the circuitto the magnet when the gun discharges the projectile against the target,at the instant when the target comes into the line of fire.

In that embodiment of my invention illustrated in the drawings, thetarget consists of one or more, in this case three, miniature gunboatsor other vessels arranged at equal angular distances on a rotatinglatform which is continuously driven (w on the game is oifered for play)by any suitable motor, as an electric motor. Said platform is located ina box or case open in front to display the rotating platform with itsminiature oats. Suitable scenery is painted or provided at the front,sides, top, and back of the box in the manner of a miniature stagesetting, to carry out the idea of the boats running on a sea.

The bombarding element or gun is carried by a miniature aeroplane, whichin this case is stationary, being suspended from the top wall of theopen box, with a gun barrel or mortar directed downwardly and so locatedthat in the rotation of the platform the miniature vessels will come insuccession into vertical alignment'below the orifice of the bombardingelement or gun.

Suitable metal balls are provided to be engaged within the mouth of saidgun and an electromagnet is provided therein and when energized willretain said ball in the gun. The player observing the approach of thevessels in succession into vertical alignment below the presses thebutton .to release the ball, W ereupon the ball falls and strikes ormisses the vessel, depending upon the nicety of the layers calculationand adjustment of the time required between his pressing the button torelease the ball and the time required for the descent of the ball tothe time required for the vessel to move from the position occupied whenhe presses the button to the position in the line of fire.

Referring now in detail to that embodiment of the invention illustratedin the drawings: 10 indicates an open front box or casing, there beingtwo of such shown in Figure 1. The top Wall, back, sides and frontmargins of said walls are provided with suitable parts and are properlypainted with designs to indicate a water scene, as a sea or bay, and atown or other scenery in the background. 11 indicates the bottom wall ofsaid box. On said bottom wall and in a position somewhat above the topface of the same is located a rotary platform 12, which has a centralpin or stud 13 mounted in a suitable manner for rotation on said wall11. Preferably a ball and a ball race 14 provide an antifriction bearingfor said rotary platform. A gear 15 is fixed to the stud or pin 13 andis engaged by a pinion 16 for continuously rotating the platform. 17indicates a motor for driving the platform, said motor being connectedby suitable reduction gearing to the pinion 16, as the beveled pinions18, the small pinion and large gear 19, 20 and the shaft 21 01f whichthe pinion 16 is fixed. The motor is connected in a suitable electriccircuit 22 in which is located a switch 23 for starting and stopping themotor.

On the platform, at equal distances about its outer periphery, areprovided miniature vessels, 22, 23, 24. These vessels represent thetargets which are to be hit by the projectiles. These vessels arepreferably distinguished by stacks 25, 26, 27, of successivelyincreasing diameter-the one 25 being quite small, but a little larger indiameter than is necessary to receive the projectile; the second, 26, alittle larger and the third, 27, considerably larger, so that varyingdegrees of skill are required to strike each of the three Vessels.Preferably, the vessels, to indicate a hit, are made collapsible andinclude a trigger or other device located in the stack so that when theprojectile strikes a vessel through its stack, the trigger will act tocollapse the vessel-thus giving the player visual evidence of hissuccessful marksmanship or skill.

A collapsible boat of the kind is shown in Figure 3, where the boat 22is made in two sections 22*, 22 hinged at 22 so that when the ballstrikes within the stack 25, which is made in two sections, one fixed toeach hinged member of the boat, the boat will break on the hinge andthus appear to have been disabled or sunk. Any other means of thuscollapsing the boat to indicate an actual hit as in real warfare may beused for the purpose.

The bombarding device in this case is carried by a miniature aeroplane28, which is suspended from the top wall 10 of the box by wires 29, 30.Under the front end of the fusillade is fixed a downwardly directed gunbarrel 31, which is adapted to receive in its open mouth a ball orprojectile 32. I Within the gun barrel is located an electromagnet (notshown), which is adapted to be energized by current flowing throughwires 33 connected thereto. The wires 38 may be led down along thehanger wires 29, 30 or may be used as and for said wires, as shown.

In front of and spaced some distance from the box 10, is a table 35; onthis table are two switch buttons of familiar kind 36, 37. Said buttonsoperate switches in the circuit of the wires 33. Said switches are inseries. The button 37 is for the use of the one playing the game, whilethe button 36 is for the attendant. The switch operated by the button 36is normally open, while the switch operated by the button 37 is normallyclosed. When the button 36 is pressed, the circuit is closed, so thatthe magnet in the gun is energized. The attendant then puts a ball ,inthe gun and the apparatus is thus set for a shot by the player.

In the rotation of the platform, the vessels, 22, 23, 24, are broughtsuccessively into vertical alignment below the gun 31. The player,observing the speed with which the vessels pass to and from the positionin the line of fire and selecting the proper instant, presses the button37 thus breaking the circuit of the magnet and releasing the ball whichfalls toward the vessel. If the release of the ball has been properlytimed the ball will enter the stack and collapse the vessel; if not, theball will miss the vessel or strike some other part of it than thestack, which will constitute a miss in the game. Prizes may be offeredfor striking the smaller or larger stackswhich will add to the interestof the game.

The platform is provided with suitable holes 39 so that the balls willfall therefrom on to the top face of the bottom wall 11 of the stage,whence they will be directed by suitable runways 40 to a transverserunway 41 at the front of the platform by which they will be directedinto a pocket 42 in a convenient location for the attendant to reachthem.

While in describing my'invention, I have referred to many details ofmechanical construction and arrangements of parts, it is to beunderstood that the invention is in no way limited thereto, except aspointed out in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention 1. A game apparatus comprising a target movablein a predetermined path, a bombarding element spaced above the path ofsaid target in vertical alignment with one point of said path, aprojectile, electrically operated means for retaining said projectile insaid bombarding element, and means for controlling the operation of saidelectrically operated means in said bombarding element.

2. A gameapparatus comprising a target adapted to move in apredetermined path, means for driving said target in said path, abombarding element located above the path of said target in verticalalignment with one'point'of said path, an electromagnet in saidbombarding element, a projectile adapted to'be held in said bombardingelement by said electromagnet, electric conductors connected to saidelectromagnet, and switch devices in-said electric conductors foroperating said electromagnet.

3. A game apparatus comprising a rota tive platform, a plurality oftargets carried by said platform, means for rotating said platform, abombarding element lo cated above said platform in vertical alignmentwith one point in the path of travel of the targets on said platform, anelectromagnet in said bombarding element, a projectile adapted to beretained in'said bom barding element by said electromagnet, electricconductors providing a circuit through said magnet, and switch deviceslocated in said conductors adapted to make and break said circuit.

4. A game apparatus comprising a rotative platform, a plurality ofminiature vessels arranged at angularly spaced distances in a circleabout the rotative center of said platform, the several vessels beingprovided with stacks of different diameters, an electric motor forrotating said platform, speed reducing means connecting said motor withsaid platform, a miniature aeroplane provided with a downwardly directedgun located above said platform with the gun in vertical alignment withone electric circuit to make and break said circuit.

5. A game apparatus comprising a reel tive platform, a plurality ofminiature vessels arranged at angularly spaced distances in a circleabout the rotative center of said platform, the several vessels beingprovided with stacks of different diameter, a

stage on which said platform is mounted, an electric motor for rotatingsaid platform, speed reducing means connecting said motor with saidplatform, a miniature aeroplane provided with a downwardly directed gunlocated above said platform with the gun in vertical alignment with onepoint in the circular path of the stacks of said vessels, anelectromagnet associated with said gun, a ball adapted to be retained insaid gun by said electromagnet, conductors providing an electric circuitin. which said electromagnet is included, a table spaced from saidstage, said conductors leading to said table, and switches located onsaid table and included in-said circuit to make and break the same.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention,.I afiix mysignature, this 27th day of February, A. D. 1925.

' GUSTAV VVOLKENHAUER.

